Amid his warnings on Iran nuclear program, Netanyahu says he’s less isolated than Churchill, Herzl
In the midst of what many see as warming diplomatic ties between Iran and the West, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu continues to warn the world on the dangers of a nuclear Iran and told the New York Times in an interview published on Friday that he would not let the Islamic Republic have nuclear weapons.
During the interview Netanyahu reportedly pointed to two photos above his desk in his Jerusalem office, one of the British WWII leader Sir Winston Churchill and the founding father of Zionism, Theodor Herzl and said: “They were alone a lot more than I am.”
Prior to the meeting set for next week between the six world powers and Iran on its nuclear program the Times interviewer described Netanyahu as sometimes coming off “sounding shrill”, being “increasingly alone abroad and at home,” and being at risk of “seeming frozen in the past amid a shifting geopolitical landscape.”
“Netanyahu is most comfortable predicting disaster, scaring people into doing something,” the Times quoted Mitchell Barak, a political consultant who worked with Netanyahu in the 1990s.
“The problem is now he’s lost momentum. His message is clear, his message is the same, the situation is the same, but everyone else’s perspective has changed,” Barak added.
The Times interviewer wrote that “such isolation is hardly new to a man with few personal friends and little faith in allies.”
After his US media blitz Netanyahu flooded the European media over the past few days with interviews trying to sway public opinion against easing sanctions on Iran in return for what Jerusalem views as cosmetic concessions.
WarSclerotic 
October 12, 2013 at 12:37 PM
when the times states “no faith in allies”how could Netanyahu trust Obama after so many double crosses I use the times for my cats litter boxes that’s all it is good for!
October 12, 2013 at 12:54 PM
I’m with you, Tom.
As far as I’m concerned, the NY Times is now essentially functioning as Obama’s “Pravda.”
I’ve read numerous articles wondering why it’s so anti-Israel. They just don’t get it….
October 12, 2013 at 3:19 PM
The sad thing is this is Israel’s “reward” for deferring to Obama on Iran for 5 years now.
The world community, which has followed Obama’s appeasement path since the day he was elected, is isolating Israel rather than Iran.
Britain which closed their Iran embassy after it was attacked only 2 years ago is already talking about reopening it.
The UN sanctions that were put into place since 2006 under Bush, and were never effective anyway, are now crumbling.
It is well past time now for Netanyahu to step up to the plate and defend the Western world against one of civilization’s worst enemies.
October 12, 2013 at 3:50 PM
I agree.
We should hit them BEFORE the pre-negotiated sellout deal is announced next week.
We’ll take one hell of a drubbing from the appeasers, but our Arab neighbors will be elated.
If Egypt can survive without the US, maybe we’ll be in the same boat for a while. I just hope we have enough supplies in country so we won’t need an airlift like in ’73.
October 12, 2013 at 4:18 PM
During such a war and especially after it – the 2013-2014 Israel Iran war which is still to be fought – we’ll need all the supply we can get from the US, let there be no doubt about that. We’ll have to fight against Hezbollah on the ground and in the air and against Iran heavily in the air, by all our means and conventional assets.
This gigantic military effort will severe and fast deplete the IDF, so big airlifts will be needed. Without this military life line, Israel cannot even think to go out for initiating a conflict – meaning, to be the ”aggressor”. That is the big problem, my friends. Is indeed the ’73 scenario all over again but with much more grave implications. Its a potentially big war out there to be fought, Israel should initiate it now but it will be depicted as the aggressor side and that wont give as stock when we’ll ask Obama to resupply us.
The Congress? Hm…I’m looking at it today, for every evening and I don’t like what I’m seeing.
And give me a break from that comparison, too. The situations of Churchill then and Netanyahu today are very different, on the detriment of the Israeli PM side. Lets begin and finish by saying that Obama is not Roosevelt. Ok? Even that Netanyahu might be compared with that gigantic British historical figure, which I’m not sure.
So, my friends, we all are waiting for a ”miracle” to happen. May be Obama will resign? May be the Saudis will enter in a war against Iran? It sounds craziness? I agree. It sounds exactly like Israel attacking Iran now.
October 12, 2013 at 4:36 PM
Luis…
Given that we’ve had 5 years to prepare for this war that we pretty much knew was inevitable, I find it hard to believe that we haven’t stockpiled what we’ll need to be successful.
In ’73 we weren’t expecting a major war.
If we need to be resupplied, I believe we can count on congress to force Obama to do it.
Congress with the American people behind them.
October 12, 2013 at 5:30 PM
Hi, Joseph.
I’ll tell you only this: there is nobody, today, in America, who can force 0bama to do anything. The Congress is already at War with this figure and the Congress is loosing this war. I wont speak now about the forces who are behind 0bama. Its not the scope of this comment and, I believe, not even the scope of this site. When such a dramatic bad figure is sleeping in the wHite h0use, then dark times are ahead for The House of Israel.
October 12, 2013 at 5:47 PM
I tell you, whatever you think you know, Netanyahu knows better and has known for 5 years.
He’s been “rope-a-doping” Obama for the last few years.
If we need to attack we will. Bibi’s confidence at the UN could not have been groundless, nor do I believe it was a bluff.
Look on the bright side. Being wrong will only make you happy this time!
October 12, 2013 at 6:08 PM
Hey, I never wished to be more wrong than now, and I mean it. I’m with you on this one, just a little worried, you know. Especially after we already know now that Obama has rejected the GOP plan for opening the government, announced on Fox a couple of minutes ago. What is the link?, you may ask. There is a link, you know it, we all know it: a very bad person is calling the shots there right now and even that Netanyahu has – theoretically – all the freedom in the world to act for defending his people, our people, the times for such decisions could not be more difficult. (as always?!, one may wonder).
October 12, 2013 at 6:41 PM
You may be right, Luis. On the other hand, as a congenital optimist I also look at the potential up side.
Obama is as weak as weak ever was. The Repubs are a bunch of illiterate imbeciles, which is why they’re getting drubbed at the moment.
While their approval is in the sewer, Obama’s has dropped significantly as well.
If Israel moves on Iran, Bibi will be at the UN within 48 hrs to explain. The entire world will watch. US TV stations will cut into regular programming to carry his speech.
I am 100% convinced that such a speech would be so persuasive and powerful that any thought Obama might have had to punishing Israel will be out the window. Watch…. He’ll be our reluctant “best friend.”
Remember, EVERYTHING is a “double-headed axe.”
What looks like an oncoming catastrophe could well herald a great victory and a new era for Israel and its neighbors.
Since you and I are not tasked with the defense of the country, we are allowed to chose among possible scenarios.
“You gotta accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative; and hat’s off to the affirmative, don’t mess with Mr. in between.”
October 12, 2013 at 8:04 PM
I feel lots of accuracy in your analysis and may the fate be with us when and if Israel will decide that too late is too late.
October 12, 2013 at 6:31 PM
You all realize that the ones that shout the loudest will also be the most grateful secretly.
October 12, 2013 at 7:38 PM
October 12, 2013 at 10:18 PM
I agree with Joseph.
Israel had years, if not a decade to plan for this war.
Israel has its own defence industry who is capable to produce high tech missiles like the Delilah or munitions like APAM.
I can tell nothing though about the quantities of munitions and other stuff that can be produced by Israel itself in a given period of time.
Given its doctrine that Israel has to rely only on itself for its defence I would consider it criminal if the strategic planners did not plan for all eventualities even such a worst case scenario of the US not resupplying israel.
As I see it, Israel depends on the US for high tech systems like laser guided bombs and such goodies but other more conventional stuff could be bought elsewhere for example in China.
Also I can imagine that countries like Greece who developed close ties with Israel in recent years might be willing to supply Israel with their standard NATO ordonance and other stuff to some extend.
If Israel is not supplied by the US with high tech material it would have to continue fighting with more primitive material like simple free fall bombs.
That would require more skills by the IAF pilots but the IAF can be confident in this regard because the IAF pilots are among the best in the world.
The Ossirak reactor for instance was destroyed with simple free fall bombs.
As for the Chinese, I believe they would be willing to supply Israel but they would demand the heavy price of extensive technology transfer which would be much to the detriment of the West and the US.
As we have seen in Egypt the US policy is causing allies to seriously consider new alliances with countries that are adversaries of the US.
Sad as it may be, given the choice of survival and working with America’s adversaries the choice is clear.